Switch



March 6, 1934.

C. H. REYNOLDS SWITCH Filed Aug. l0, 1931 [72 z/enor,

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Patented Mar. 6, 1934 SWITCH Charles H. Reynolds, Malden, Mass.,assignor to Albert and J. M. Anderson Manufacturing Company, SouthBoston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 10,1931, Serial No. 556,142

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an electrical switch and more particularly toa disconnecting switch for use in high tension circuits. i

In general the object of the invention is to provide a novel andimproved construction of switch in which the switch blade is latched incircuit-closing position by novel and improved latching mechanism.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide anovel and improved construction of double throw switch having provisionfor latching the switch blade in either circuit-closing position and inwhich the latching mechanism is adapted for cooperation with thestandard switch stick at present used in connection with the standardhigh tension disconnecting switches and in which the movement cf theswitch blade into and from circuitclosing position by means of thestandard switch stick is accomplished with a minimum strain and wearupon the latching mechanism to the end that the switch `may be used forlong periods of time without attention and without replacement and alsowith a blade of minimum length and without diminishing the currentcarrying capacity of the blade.

With these objects in view, and such others as may hereinafter appear,the invention consists in the switches hereinafter described andparticularly dened in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawing illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention-Fig. 1 is a plan, and Fig. 2, a side elevation oi a double throwdisconnecting switch embodying the present invention; and

Fig. 3 is a plan, and Figs. 4 and 5 are side elevations of modifiedforms of high tension disconnecting switches embodying the presentinvention.

Referring now to the drawing, in Figs. 1 and 2 I have illustrated adouble throw high tension disconnecting switch embodying the presentinvention comprising essentially a movable member pivoted at 12 andadapted to be thrown into one position to co-operatewith one set ofclips 14 to close one circuit, and which is also adapted to be throwninto the opposed position to co-operate with a second set of clips 16 toclose another circuit.

As is generally recognized i'or high tension work, it is desirable andessential that provision be made for latching the movable member 10 ofthe switch in circuit-closing position, to prevent the heavy surge ofcurrent from opening the switch and to prevent accidents which haveheretofore occurred by reason of the shearing of the pivot pin for themovable member of the switch when the same is thus forced open under thesurge of the heavy current.

The present invention has for its object to provide a high tensionswitch which is of minimum length and capable of being latched in itsclosed position without diminishing the current carrying capacity of themovable member or blades of the switch, and which can be located in aspace of minimum length.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, themovable member of the switch is provided with one, and preferably withtwo latching members 20, 22, whichv are herein shown as pivoted uponpins 23, 24 and located between the switch blades 25, 26 making up themovable member of the switch as in the manner illustrated in Figs. 1 andwherein it will be seen that the latching members 2i), 22, in the closedposition of the blades 25, 26, are located between the pivot 12 and theclip 14 or 16 with which the blades are engaged.,

The latching members 20, 22 are provided with hooked portions 27, 28,which are adapted to hook under catches 29, 30 upon the inside of theclips 14, 16.

The latching members 20, 22 are urged into operative or catch-engagingposition by a compression spring 31 preferably in the shape of a coildisposed around one of the spacing sleeves 32 through which a retainingbolt 34 for holding the switch blades 25, 26 in operative relation isextended.

As herein shown the free ends of the coil spring 31 are received withinrecesses in the latch members 20, 22.

In order to operate the latch members 20, 22 to disengage them from thecatches 27, 28, and 9 also for the purpose of enabling the movablemember 10 of the switch to be moved by the switch stick to disengage itfrom the clips 14, 16, each latch member 20, 22 is further provided withan eye 35 of a size suiiicient to permit the insertion therein of theoperative end of a standard switch hook or switch stick which is used inpractice in unlatching and moving the blade of a high tensiondisconnecting switch. The eye 35 is located with relation to themovement of the latch from latching into unlatching position so thatafter the latch has been disengaged, the eye will have been moved towardthe switch blade sufliciently to bring the operative portion of theswitch stick or switch hook into direct contact or v 11g bearing withthe edge portion of the movable member 10 of the switch, and so thatupon further movement of the movable memberl() under the push or pull ofthe switch stick accordingly as the blade is being moved out of or intodisengagement with the clips, the switch stick bears directly againstthe edge of the movable member l0 of the switch and all strain isrelieved from the latching mechanism and taken directly'upon the movablemember itself.

In this manner liability of rendering the latching mechanism inoperativeis reduced to a minimum and the life of the switch is prolonged.

In order to control the movements of the latching members 20, 22, asherein shown, each latching member is provided with a hole through whichextends a contact pin e2 carried by the movable member 10 or" theswitch, so that each latching member is limited in its pivotal movementby the engagement o the opposite walls of the hole with the pin, asclearly illustrated in Figs. l and 2.

As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, a single latch member 22 is providedconstructed in the manner previously described and the second end of'the spring 3l is received within a recess in a stationary lug 45 whichis arranged to project above the blades to enable the switch stick toco-operate therewith when the stick is used in forcing the movablemember l0 of the switch into engagement with the clip 1li.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a modied form oi single throw switch inwhich the lug 45 is pivoted to the switch blade and in which themovement of the lug ll5 by the switch stick when closing the bladeOperates to increase the compression in the spring 3l and thereby renderthe latching ci the blade by the latch 22 more positive and efficient.

From the description thus far, it will be observed that in accordancewith the present invention a high tension disconnecting switch isprovided having a latching mechanism of a simple durable construction,in which the latching mechanism occupies a minimum space and may bemanufactured economically, particularly inasmuch as the latches may bestamped out oi plate.

'While it is preferred to employ the duplicate latching mechanisms onboth a single and a double throw switch, nevertheless a single latch maybe used as illustrated in Fig. 3.

In operation the operator hooks the switch stick through the eye 35 ofthe lower latch and is enabled to disengage the latch from its catchduring the initial movement oi the latch into a position where theoperative portion of the switch stick is brought into direct contactwith the under edge of the switch member i0. The further movement oi theswitch stick bearing directly against the member 10 positivelydisengages the same from its clip and continued movement swings theswitch member l0 past the vertical and into a position where thedownward pull of the switch stick bearing directly against the same edgeof the switch member operates to positively pull the switch blade intoengagement with the second set of clips. The movement of the spring asthe switch blade is being disengaged, operates to increase thecompression in the spring so that the second latch member is renderedmore active by the increase in compression in the spring to engage itscatch when the blade is moved into the opposite circuit-closingposition.

Furthermore, it will be observed that the latching members are pivotedto the blades between the ends of the latter and at such a distance fromthe free ends of the blades that, in the closed position of the blades,the said latches are between the clips 14 or 16 and the pivot 12 for theblades. This construction enables the switch to be oi minimum length andused in places where the space, in which the switch can be placed, is oflimited length as, for instance, in cells or housings in which hightension switches are usually located.

So also, it will be observed that the latching member 2b or 22 isprovided with the eye 35 into which the switch stick is extended, andthat the current carrying capacity of the blades 25, 26 is notdiminished by the formation of the eye 35 in the blades. It willtherefore be seen that by providing the latching members 20 or 22 withan eye 35 for the engagement of the switch stick and pivoting thelatching member to the blades so that the latching member in the closedposition of the switch is located between the free end of the blade andthe pivoted or fixed end, a latched high tension switch of maximumcurrent carrying capacity and of minimum length may be obtained.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied inother forms within the scope of the following claims.

I-Iaving thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. li switch having, in combination, a movable switch member, pivoted atone end, a clip with which the free end of the movable member is engagedin its closed position, a catch on said clip, a. latching member pivotedto the movable switch member and having its iree end extended laterallybeyond the side edge oi the movable switch member and provided with alatch corating with said catch and having means for engagement with a.switch stick, said means beremoved from the side edge of the movableswitch member a distance sniiicient to enable the projecting end of thelatching member to be pushed toward the side edge of the movable switchmember and effect disengagement of the latch from said catch and leavethe movable switch member free to be moved to open the switch by directthrust of the switch stick in the same direction against the side edgeof the movable switch member.

2. A switch having, in combination, a movable switch blade which thefree end of the said blade is engaged in its closed position, a catch onsaid clip, a latching lever pivoterA to the said blade and having itsfree end projecting laterally beyond the side edge of said blade andprovided with a latchv co-operating with said catch and having an eyefor engagement with a switch stick, said eye being removed from the sideedge of said blade a distance suicient to enable the projecting end,

CHARLES H. REYNOLDS.

pivoted at one end, a clip with

